Brief ones tonight, but no less recommended than usual. All available to stream.
The 39 Steps (1935) –
Early Hitchcock is still awesome Hitchcock. Reminiscent of North By Northwest (among others) in the way a normal man is drawn into a situation that’s anything but. The atmosphere is creepy, the mystery is intriguing, and the cast (none of whom you’re likely to recognize) do an excellent job. (Even if all I can think of is the Sesame Street sketch.) It’s also only 86 minutes, for those looking for something a bit on the shorter side.
Enemy Mine (1985) –
This is one of my very favorite sci fi movies; it deserves much more attention than it gets. Dennis Quaid and Louis Gosset Jr. are spot on as stranded soldiers from opposing sides forced to survive together. Sure, it’s filed with tropes, but it does them thoughtfully and to good effect. The effects are a little dated, but it’s a movie that isn’t about effects so much as concepts. The differences in Draconian and human cultures (and biologies), while glossed, are still intriguingly handled, and even where the movie doesn’t succeed, it tries in interesting ways.
The Fall (2006) –
Please, please watch The Fall. Every rewatch has been incredibly rewarding, but even the first one was enjoyable. The Fall tells the story of an injured stuntman (Lee Pace) and his relationship with a little girl (the astoundingly good Catinca Untaru) as they both heal in a California hospital in the 1920s. The visuals are unbelievably lush, the storytelling (both meta and not) is engrossing, and it marries a sense of fable to a very grounded emotional core. Also, effective use of Beethoven. Gorgeous.
The Exploding Macguffin 